The difference between an expert and a craftsman
Category Software Development
"The critical distinction between a craftsman and an expert is what happens after a sufficient level of expertise has been obtained. The expert will do everything she can to remain wedded to a single context, narrowing the scope of her learning, her practice, and her projects. The craftsman has the courage and humility to set aside her expertise and pick up an unfamiliar technology or learn a new domain."
Dave Hoover, in an article on stickyminds.com
"The critical distinction between a craftsman and an expert is what happens after a sufficient level of expertise has been obtained. The expert will do everything she can to remain wedded to a single context, narrowing the scope of her learning, her practice, and her projects. The craftsman has the courage and humility to set aside her expertise and pick up an unfamiliar technology or learn a new domain."
Dave Hoover, in an article on stickyminds.com





Comments
You can add your own expression of derision here - 'Bollocks!' or 'What a load of rot!' are good starting points ...
Posted by Graham Dodge At 20:31:44 On 28/12/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Art Pufford At 20:34:09 On 28/12/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Art Pufford At 20:34:23 On 28/12/2009 | - Website - |
@1... I see it as the "courage and humility" to look stupid picking up a screwdriver and learning to use it, instead of pounding the screw with the hammer or convincing the user they really need a nail instead of a screw because you're an expert with a hammer...
Posted by Duffbert At 20:39:23 On 28/12/2009 | - Website - |
Expert: Extraordinarily capable or knowledgeable.
Crafts(person): Someone who is highly skilled at their trade;
Dave's definition positions 'craftsman' as better than 'expert' by gratuitously gifting the latter with the noble attributes of 'courage and humility' for no other reason that I can see than to suit his own desire for a snappy sound bite. Why does he think that an 'expert' cannot also possess these attributes?
I'm sure that we hammer experts possess the 'courage and humility' to admit when the hammer isn't appropriate. I have previously advised clients when Notes isn't the best fit (much to the annoyance of the local Lotus reps), and I will continue to do so in the future when it is appropriate. I also assist clients to get another Business Partner when my skills aren't appropriate for the task at hand eg Java coding. I don't consider myself especially courageous or humble for choosing to specialize deeper and deeper with one product but neither do I accept that changing my chosen toolset will somehow give me these virtues PROVIDING I continue to honestly acknowledge the limitations of the hammer I wield.
OTOH I do find it intriguing when Business Partners eagerly move into new technologies where they obviously lack skills and yet charge the same hourly rate as for their expert Notes/Domino work. That might be courageous but it is clearly not humble...
(Just to clarify - my objection is with Hoover's definition rather than your quite excellent blog).
Posted by Graham Dodge At 21:28:22 On 28/12/2009 | - Website - |
Whether if you are employed or independant. It sometimes is not easy to jump into new areas. If you are independant, clients will not pay you for novice knowledge and even if you are employed there are many companies that think hire and fire works better than retraining.
Short term success not only is en vogue in the financial industry.
Posted by Henning Heinz At 02:04:14 On 29/12/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Chris Mobley At 05:38:21 On 29/12/2009 | - Website - |
An Expert on Shakespearean plays can tell you everything about them, compare/contrast them, wax philosophical about them, etc. The expert may/may not ever put on a play, and if he does it might be rather flat, but he can tell you about them all day long.
A Craftsman in Shakespearean plays might be, for example, a producer who can pull together an amazing production of one of Shakespeare's plays. The craftsman may/may not know as much about the whole body of work and history of the plays, but man can he make one shine.
The expert's knowledge informs the craftsman's work. The craftman's skills bring life to the expert's knowledge. It is good to be at least a little bit of both. If you have to pick one or the other, carefully pick a craftsman who refers to expert knowledge to inform his craft.
Posted by Maria Helm At 05:50:49 On 29/12/2009 | - Website - |
Experts are over paid while craftsmen are under paid.
I do however, see many, many people who claim to be one, the other or both but are neither. You have to grow in skills and knowledge in order to succeed.
Here's another one:
An experts worth is usually in the here and now, while a craftsman's (as in artisan) value is realized somewhat later.
Posted by Darren Duke At 05:59:05 On 29/12/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Keith Brooks At 06:58:36 On 29/12/2009 | - Website - |
A Generalist knows a little about everything, so little that he is useless. A Specialist knows everything about a very narrow subject, so narrow that he is useless.
A craftsman of Dave's definition, is a person who realized they were becoming overly specialized and compensated by diversification.
Posted by James Collie At 07:04:52 On 29/12/2009 | - Website - |
I like mechanics and engineers.
Posted by tom oneil At 07:43:43 On 29/12/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Duffbert At 08:26:22 On 29/12/2009 | - Website - |
The core of the problem is that Hoover has provided no argument (let alone Proof) that the Craftsman is more courageous or humble than the Expert. Check out { Link } for a catalog of his crimes against logic.
Posted by Graham Dodge At 14:11:12 On 29/12/2009 | - Website - |
They consider medical doctors, juridical experts, some civil engineers as "craftsman". In programming they promote constantly learning new languages and architectures as the way to craftmansship.
Personally I would consider someone who permanently deepens his skill in one more narrowly focussed area as a craftsman, too.
Widen ones skills has costs and benefits. Regarding the atitude of an individuum towards widen/deepen there are gradual differences. I wouldn't see it as a mutually exclusive the one or the other decision.
Posted by Axel At 01:23:59 On 30/12/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Art Pufford At 08:50:36 On 31/12/2009 | - Website - |